Autograph letter signed from Ottokar Novacek to Adolph Brodsky

Novacek has learned with some disbelief from Frau Busoni that Brodsky is delighted that Novacek is writing a new quartet. This has surprised Novacek since Brodsky had not wanted to see him recently and Novacek thought he had lost Brodsky's sympathy. If Brodsky heard the whole story, he would be less harsh in his judgement of Novacek's ingratitude. Novacek has sent the quartet to the jury of the Bonn Prize [2,000 marks]. As he was writing the quartet, Novacek kept hearing Brodsky play the piece to him, which was a form of plagiarism and if Novacek wins the prize, he ought to give half to Brodsky. With this letter Novacek sends a few Bulgarian folksongs not yet harmonised, sung only by the farmers and soldiers, some similar to Russian folk melodies. Dated 8 Dec 1887.